White Wishes
by yamada michiko
Summary: Having a family was the greatest gift he had ever had.


_**Alright! So here's a short fic for a change.**_

_**This is not yet my full-blown return from a break. This was something that started as a plot bunny in my head, and I seriously don't know if I should even have continued it, since it's quite different than usual. But I was itching to get this out of my system first, because this was what I was dreaming to see in Taichi, even before. (Okay, so I heard Platinum-chan's little request). Anyways, I think this fic would make it clear that I was just obsessed wth TaiChihaya? Hahaha.**_

_**This was not really a sequel to Red Threads of Destiny, although it may appear like that. Either way you could treat it like a sequel, but also like a stand alone fic. Either of the two is fine.**_

_**Thanks to the people who had left such wonderful reviews for my last fic. While the review count was making me happy, it was… well, few. I guess few people really knew the Chihayafuru world. *sighs* Speaking of reviews though, I was a bit disappointed to find out that some people actually think of the TaiChihaya ship as 'nonsense'. While I knew that we have different preferences, I couldn't help feeling sad for some of my fellow shippers that Taichi is a displeasing character for them. I mean… it **_**is**_** really saddening. *sighs again*.**_

_**But anyway. To each her own, right?**_

_**Read on, and I hope you enjoy it, TaiChihaya lovers! :)**_

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**Disclaimer: I don't own Chihayafuru and the main characters. I just love them. **

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**White Wishes**

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"Oh Kami-sama. I'm in trouble."

She stared up at the darkening sky, suddenly surprised with all the dark clouds swirling above. She was just about to step out of the store, paper bags in her left hand, when she was caught off-guard with how dark it had gotten outside.

She bit her lip. It was a mistake not to bring her umbrella today. Once her husband found out about this, she'll be scolded again. She sighed to herself, wanting to smack herself for her own carelessness as she began trudging forward, her worry somehow dissipating as her thoughts flitted to her well-meaning husband, and a smile began to form on her lips.

Her thoughts wandered, as she shifted the grocery bags for a more comfortable strain on her left arm.

At first glance people would think that he was sort of rough around the edges, but when it came down to it, he was actually well aware of how to take care of her. This is probably due to the fact that they had known each other practically their whole lives, and he knew, possibly memorized even, all her habits, right down to the very core. Truly, he had always looked out for her one way or another, so she knew that something as simple as forgetting her umbrella would exasperate him. She could already imagine how he would sigh and make a face, and how he would shake his head.

_Honestly. Was it going to be difficult just bringing something as little as an umbrella…?_

The thought made her chuckle, as if she was listening to a love song no one but her could hear. Passersby gave her a wide berth seeing her behavior, and she sweat dropped at her own antics. She may be strange and certainly weird, but she knew that without it, she never would have married her husband. It was her charm, you see.

She only hoped it wasn't genetic though. Otherwise, his head was going to ache at the strangeness that will be a part of their house from here on.

A few seconds later, two large drops fell consecutively on her face, until the sky decided to all of a sudden pour out it's bitterness in one huge storm. Grimacing at her unbelievable luck, she hurriedly looked around and fortunately spotted a waiting shed not too far from the store. She sprinted towards it, feeling her shoulders and hair getting drenched by the rain, and she sighed in relief once she reached it. By the time she had ducked under it's shelter, half her hair were wet, and she was starting to shiver.

"Ah, mou. I'm in for it. I really am." She said worriedly, trying to decide if she should text him or something to tell him she was going to have to stay out a little longer. He would probably guess that she was stuck somewhere waiting for the rain to stop, the brilliant man that he is. She never could hide anything from him anyway, so why bother not telling him that she was waiting somewhere?

She got out her phone, not even noticing the lone figure who had joined her under the shed, after which he folded an umbrella large enough for three people to fit under.

"You bet you are."

She nearly dropped her phone and looked up to her company, her mouth falling open in surprise. "T-Taichi! W-Why are you-… h-how-?"

The brunette sighed in exasperation. "Don't give me that. You didn't bring an umbrella with you. Again." He gave her a light, frustrated glare. He was still in his long-sleeved wine-colored, button down polo, having probably rushed here as soon as he had made it home from work. "Honestly. Was it so hard to bring something as necessary as an umbrella…?" She chuckled with his statement, having imagined his reaction almost perfectly, as he took the paper bags from her without any preamble, holding her right hand into his as he stood there with her. "Kyoko-'baachan told me you didn't have an umbrella with you when you left for these. It's a good thing I saw you come out of the store earlier." He removed a jacket which was slung carelessly over his shoulder and draped it around her, seeing her shivering lightly.

"You're… home early." She murmured, beaming up at him as he still narrowed his amber eyes at her, after which his gaze softened as his eyes met her auburn ones. "I guess we're lucky to have you home earlier than usual."

"Kanade's sick. Of course I would be home earlier than usual." He said it so matter-of-factly that she had to smile as she raised a hand up to sweep the hair which had fallen over his eyes.

"It's just an onset of fever. She'll be fine before you know it." She assured her husband, lightly giggling at his worried profile. "What about your work?"

"Todai has a lot of doctors, Chihaya. They'll survive without me for a day." He murmured assuredly, as they just stood there, waiting for the rain to mellow down. "Ugh. It's so inconvenient not to have the car." He added, looking at the rain still falling in heavy sheets.

Chihaya laughed quietly, as she wrapped an arm around her husband's waist. "Well it can't be helped. That beloved car of yours has to be fixed. Besides, isn't this quite alright? You and I get to walk home sharing one umbrella. It's sort of romantic, if I must say so." She teased lightly, grinning knowingly at him.

He snorted. "Last I checked, my wife didn't have the definition of 'romantic' in her dictionary. Isn't that quite the surprise…?" He teased back, and his response earned him an elbow from her on his left rib in retaliation.

Taichi groaned and gave her a glare as she glared back at him. "Just because I wasn't exactly normal by women's standards doesn't mean I don't know what 'romantic' is, Mashima Taichi." She pouted, her lower lip jutting out as she shook his hand on her shoulder off.

He couldn't resist the urge to laugh. "Alright, I'm sorry. I was just joking." He apologized, half-amused.

Chihaya crossed her arms over her chest. "You don't sound sorry at all-"

She was cut off when he bent over and captured her lips lightly, and despite of the jacket, she felt a shiver run down her spine. He broke it off much too soon, and she couldn't resist the urge to blush. "W-What was that for?" She asked in a demanding tone, rolling her eyes away from him.

Taichi chuckled. "You haven't given me a 'welcome home' kiss since earlier so I took the initiative instead."

She couldn't help but laugh, her annoyance from her husband's joking statement thawing. "Of course. I should've known."

There was silence between them again, a comfortable one at that even as the sky continued showering everything within a hundred miles, almost wetting the both of them even with the shed.

He glanced at her. "You sure chose a good time to buy the groceries."

Chihaya snorted. "It was the only time Kanade allowed me to be away from her. I couldn't leave earlier because her fever left her burning up for two hours. I had to convince her that Sou will watch over her."

Taichi, despite of his worry for his six year-old daughter, couldn't resist chuckling. "I could only imagine Sou's reaction."

She shared a chuckle with him. "Don't underestimate Sou. He never strayed far from his sister's side the whole morning. I guess we're quite fortunate Kana fell sick at a weekend, otherwise Sou won't be there to watch over her as much."

He looked up to the still-dark sky. "He reminds me of you when he's like that."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "What was that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged, his broad shoulders rising up and down in a rhythmic way. "The stubbornness. Or tenacity of his. It came from you, without a doubt." He met her dark eyes. "Once he made up his mind, there's no shaking him from it. Not even Kana could scare him off when he's like that."

Chihaya shrugged as well. "… I suppose." It was the first time she came close to conceding with him. "Do you think that's a bad thing? Because one thing's for sure, those two inheriting your brains wasn't something _bad_." She laughed at her statement, making him chuckle as she hadn't really meant anything, though having known her for years, he still heard the worry laced somewhere in her tone.

"I don't know everything, so don't ask me if that's bad. And anyway, weren't things supposed to be originally good in moderation? It just depends on people how they were going to use it. Or at least, that's what I think." He responded lightly, giving her a light-hearted grin. "Well, doesn't look like the rain's going to mellow down sometime soon. I hope your daughter's not going to be upset we haven't been home immediately."

"I hope so too." His wife responded in a quieter tone, just leaning on his arm and closing her eyes.

Taichi stared at her out of the corner of his eye, his ears intent on listening to her breathing. She seemed somewhat calm and relaxed, and on top of it, happy even. Perhaps because despite of the rain, they were together…?

"I'm so glad you're home." Chihaya murmured against his arm, as if she somehow heard his thoughts and she responded to reassure him. "And I'm sure the kids will be overjoyed. Kana, especially. She's been wanting to borrow a book of yours which made my nose bleed from just reading the first chapter."

He cleared his throat, somehow worried. "Probably one of my medical books. I swear, that kid's starting to show interest in med. I hope it's not too early for her."

"What do you expect? She has a doctor for a father. To her she's your hero, you know."

Taichi chuckled at that. "Hero huh? Never would have thought."

Chihaya, her eyes still closed, let a smile spread across her lips, her hand coming up to rub his arm reassuringly. "You should have."

He caught his wife's hand and patted it, just holding it there, after which he bent over and laid a kiss on the top of her head. "Why, thank you. You might be a bit biased, though."

Her response was a chuckle.

As they stood there, waiting for the rain to settle down, he let his thoughts scatter.

He and Chihaya have been married for quite some time now, -around nine years. He had remained as a member of Todai's medical team specializing in heart conditions, thus, he was one of the University's in house doctors. Despite of the fact that he was being offered higher, better paying positions from other hospitals and whatnot, he had chosen to remain with his alma matter, because he was far too contented to even leave and shift his work, which probably also had to do with the fact that he didn't want to travel too far away from home.

And indeed, after their marriage a few years ago, he couldn't deny that these were the happiest times of his life.

Chihaya is a homeroom adviser in their former high school, -Mizusawa High. She was also the karuta club's head coach and trainer –yes, the very same club she and Taichi had co-founded together, and is an ambassador for the International Federation of Karuta which had been established by guess who, - none other than Komano Tsutomu, one of their friends who had decided that karuta needed more exposure – and who also became Oe Kanade's husband, another of their friends who owned a kimono shop and Chihaya's colleague from Mizusawa, to which they had named their daughter after.

His wife tugged at his arm. "The rain's calmed down. Let's go?"

He nodded and unfolded the large umbrella, pulled her beside him, keeping her close as she laughed, probably just attributing this to the fact that he had always overreacted when it came to her health. He rolled his eyes in response and ruffled her hair, and she stuck out a tongue at him. Together they trudged carefully on the wet road, holding hands quietly, just comforted with each other's presence.

A year after they were married Chihaya became pregnant with their firstborn, who as it turned out is a boy who was very much identical to his father, a miniature version of Taichi as their friends had said countless times, who had inherited every bit of his features except for the eyes –and the attitude. It was a defining characteristic of his son, -he had inherited his eyes from his mother, as well as her antics and her love for karuta. Definitely something he should watch out for, as he had joked about it once to her.

_Sou's becoming more and more like you every single day. I guess you should start explaining verses to him._ He had joked one night to her. Chihaya's response was a bonk on his head.

_Let's see about that, Mashima Taichi._

The moment Sou was born though, both sets of their grandparents, the in-laws, became excited. Most especially his mother. No one was probably prouder than her when she held her grandson for the first time.

_Such a loud cry. The way his father had cried when he was born was so akin to his. He has quite a set of lungs._

He tried not to expose Sou too much to her though. As much as he was grateful to his mom having raised him to what he was now, he didn't want his son to be exposed to the same… rigorous 'training' his mother had provided him with when he was still a kid. It's enough that he had been raised in such a way, thank you very much.

Sou wasn't much of a difficult child, though his parents hadn't really been much of a difficulty for their parents when they themselves had been kids to begin with. Taichi may have been a brat, but then again, all kids had to pass that stage once. That didn't mean that he hadn't behaved when he was a kid himself, though.

Sou did show stubbornness on more than one occasion though. He was… quite the hard-headed kid, if you can say that. That right there was Chihaya herself –the tenacity to do what he wanted… and wanting to finish things which he had started, to see it through. The determination to do what he wanted, and when he made up his mind that he liked karuta, no one, not between the two of them in the least, had been able to shake him from it.

_Sou-chan is following in his mother's footsteps. You have quite the champion there, Matsuge-kun. _Tsuboguchi-san had said once, when Sou discovered the Shiranami Karuta Society that his mother often visited, and had asked the two of them if he can see the cards which his parents both treasured. It was then that Sou decided he liked karuta, and had wasted no time in asking his mother to teach him how to play it.

As of now, his son was having the time of his life playing against his mother whenever she had the time, though like most beginners at his age, he was having a lot of trouble with multi-syllable cards, something which his mother had laughed at when they saw how disgruntled he was with it.

"_I should have defended that!"_ He remembered his son protesting when his mother all but swept the card away from him effortlessly. _"It's on my side!"_

His mother had ruffled his hair as she chuckled, catching his father's eye, both of them watching their son sighing heavily as he pouted childishly, his sister watching as well from her father's arms as she sat on his lap.

"_But Oniichan… 'Kaachan is the Q-uee-n." _His younger sister pointed out in a quiet voice, her tongue rolling around with the word 'Queen' as she tried her best to pronounce it correctly, making both of their parents chuckle lightly as they heard her effort. _"'Touchan said 'Kaachan is the strongest of all players."_

"_But it's still on my side."_ Sou had insisted. _"I should have been able to look after it."_

"_Sou-chan,"_ His mother had began, looking at him with a more serious expression than he had ever seen on her face, _"Multi-syllable cards are supposed to be difficult to defend, even more so from taking it." _Her finger hovered over one of the cards ripe for the taking at her son's lower right. _"What have I told you about proper card placing?"_ She had asked in a much sterner voice, at which her son had gasped when he realized his blunder.

"_A-Ah! I-I'm sorry!"_

Chihaya had watched as their eight-year old son scrambled to rearrange his cards, temporarily pausing their match.

The memory made him smile to himself. There was already no doubt, to him at least, that he was taking off after his mother.

Not long after he spotted their home. It was probably a good thing that Chihaya knew where the nearest store is, because it was within walking distance.

He lifted a hand to ring the bell, and seconds later their elderly maid, Kyoko-baachan as they fondly call her, rushed out to greet the two of them.

"Ah, welcome back." The elderly woman greeted in a gentle and delighted voice, as she opened the gates to let the two in. "It's good that you've managed to return despite of the rain. Kana-chan was already asking for you, Chihaya-chan."

Taichi gave his wife an exasperated look. "It's her mother's fault. If only she had chosen a decent time to purchase groceries."

"Hai, Hai." Chihaya playfully cut her disgruntled husband off, as she handed the lighter bags to Kyoko-baachan and asked her to place them in the kitchen. "Enough with the grouchiness already, dear husband. You don't want Kana-chan to see that, do you?" She placed her hands on her hips as she watched him fold the umbrella carefully.

He made a face. "Yes, forgetful wife. Though I could probably make an example of you to Kana as to why she should always have something to protect her from the rain."

Chihaya chuckled as she tiptoed to kiss him on the lips. "This _is_ the proper 'welcome home' kiss. Okaeri."

Taichi couldn't help but smile, despite of the light exasperation still etched somewhere on his handsome features. "Tadaima."

She took his hand, beaming brightly at him. "Let's go. Kana-chan's waiting for you."

"Hai, Hai." He replied jokingly, to which his wife chuckled and led him inside.

They both entered the manor and immediately removed their shoes, but before they could do more than straighten up, they both heard the squeak, pitter-patter of a pair of little feet, and a little girl with waist-length chestnut hair burst out front, straight into her father's arms.

"Otouchan! Yay! Welcome home~~!" The little girl exclaimed enthusiastically in a cheerful and delighted high-pitched voice, kissing her father on his cheek which alarmed both her parents at the kind of behavior she was exhibiting at the moment.

"Kanade!" Taichi scolded gently as he straightened up, the little girl already cradled in his arms, rubbing her face endearingly against her father's chest. "I was told you are sick! Why are you running?" He asked in a stern voice as the little girl pouted, her face falling against him.

"Mou, Kana-chan." Her mother added, her tone worried as she rubbed her daughter's back. "You're not that well enough to be up and about. You shouldn't have gotten up immediately."

Seconds later another pair of little feet sounded, and a boy, no older than eight, also sprinted towards them, his hair a darker color than his sister's, his breathing ragged. "Kanade! Oh," he stopped in a sheepish tone at the sight of his parents, their expressions identical masks of worry. "O-Okaeri, 'Touchan, 'Kaachan."

"Sou-chan," Chihaya began as Taichi stepped inside and Sou gave him a kiss on the cheek, his sister still in his father's arms. "I thought I told you to watch over your sister."

Taichi's miniature version for a son paled and blanched. "I-I'm sorry, 'Kaachan. I tried to stop her, but the moment she heard 'Touchan's home I was in no state to stop her from getting up and running." The boy heaved a sigh as his parents shared a look.

Chihaya sighed as well as Taichi, still carrying his daughter, led the way inside. She leaned down and kissed their son's forehead. "You're forgiven. Your sister's impossible to stop when it comes to your father. And thank you, for watching over her while I'm out." She smiled at her son, who responded with a toothy smile of his own.

"Thank you, Sou." Taichi added as well, rubbing his son's head of mocha hair –which he had no doubt inherited from him, - and giving his daughter a stern but light gaze. "You did a good job of watching over your sister. As for you, young lady, you are to go back to your room to rest." He added in a strict tone.

"Hai!" The little girl exclaimed enthusiastically despite of such a pale complexion as she gave him that big, watery-eye look, seeing his own set of amber eyes looking back at him. "'Touchan will watch over me!"

Taichi stared at their daughter for a full minute, then sighed. "It certainly seems you won't be letting me out of your sight anytime soon."

"Because she missed you." Chihaya teased lightly as they all entered the living room. "Kana-chan's so excited to have her father home so early for a change."

"Hey now," Taichi gave her a light, defensive glare. "I do come home on time, you know."

"After making sure all the patients are fine, without a doubt, right, Kana-chan, Sou-chan?" Chihaya winked at their kids, making Kana-chan collapse into a fit of giggles, and Sou scratch his head while grinning.

Taichi leaned over to her, adjusting his daughter's position on his arm so that she wouldn't be of earshot, whispering in her ear, "Why don't you just admit that _you're_ missing me too huh?" He teased back, making Chihaya redden in spite of herself and give him a light swat on the arm. "I'll make it up to you, I swear." He added cheekily, making Chihaya grab hold of his earlobe and twist it mercilessly.

"Ow!" He complained as Chihaya crossed her arms over her chest with a satisfied smile on her lips. "Your mother's hurting me, Kana-chan!" He turned to his daughter who gave them both a big wide-eyed look as they ascended the staircase leading to the kids' rooms.

"That's probably because 'Touchan's doing something naughty, ne, 'Kaachan?" Sou, who was following behind them, said as well in a cheeky tone as he placed his arms over his head.

"Too right you are, Sou-chan." Chihaya agreed, sharing a dark laugh with his son as she fell back in step with him.

He snorted. "Little devils." He muttered under his breath, as Kana-chan's little hand came up to stroke the left side of his face.

"Where does it hurt, 'Touchan?" She asked, making her father's heart melt. At six, she had him wrapped around her little finger. Don't get him wrong, he loved their kids equally, but Kanade, undoubtedly, is special. This is probably due to the fact that Mashima Kanade, at such a young age, had taken off after her mother's looks. The hair, the beauty… at such an age was already clearly making itself shown. There had been offers already for her to appear in magazines alongside her mom who is a famous model, but both her parents had declined, the offer being turned down by her father curtly and politely.

_She's too young to be modeling, for crying out loud. Too young to be exposed to such a thing._

Kana, as opposed to her brother who had inherited mostly their father's looks, had no doubt inherited every little detail of her mother's looks except for the eyes. While Sou had taken his mother's eyes, Kanade had taken his. Oh, and the attitude, as Chihaya had pointed out, was definitely _his_.

_There is definitely a switch._ Kanade, her godmother who they had named her after, had said a few hours after Chihaya had given birth to their second angel. _Have you guys actually talked about it while… doing the… you know? _She had joked much to the two's laughter and chagrin, _It's perfect. They looked like carbon copies of you two, except for the eyes and behavior._ _How on earth did you do that? Perhaps me and Tsutomu should get pointers from you guys._

He chuckled at the memory and caught his daughter's hand, guiding her hand to his ear. "It's smarting here. Your mother did a wonderful job of twisting it."

The little girl looked horrified. "It looks red."

Taichi turned to his wife, as they paused outside the door of the children's room, giving her a glare. "Thanks to her."

Chihaya giggled, and proceeded to step beside him and rub her daughter's head. "Don't worry, Kana-chan. It'll be gone in a few hours. Now, I believe you should start resting, do you? We don't want your temperature acting up again."

The little girl nodded, and Taichi opened the door, stepping inside and laying her gently down the bed. Their parents bent down to kiss her on the forehead. "Sleep for now. We'll prepare for dinner, and you'll drink your medicine. Okay?" Taichi clarified, as he straightened up, but not before he felt her small hand wrap around his.

"'Touchan will stay until I fall asleep, right?" She asked in a worried tone.

Chihaya gave a soft laugh as Taichi heaved a sigh. "Yes mam. I'm staying."

"Ano…"

They both turned to look at their son who stood on the doorway of their room. "Since 'Touchan will be looking after Kanade… C-Can I play karuta with 'Kaachan?" He asked nervously, twisting his fingers.

Chihaya smiled and rubbed their son's head, as she gave his father a meaningful look, and he decided he should say something in the least. "It's a weekend, so I don't mind if you want to play." He began, and Sou's face automatically lifted up. "… But are you done with your homework, young man?" He asked in a stern tone.

At this, Sou froze, his delighted expression turning sheepish. "… Uh… that's… not yet, 'Touchan." He admitted in a small, shy voice.

Taichi gave a low whistle. "How about we make a deal? You finish your homework first before you play? It's easier to beat your mom if you don't have any worries left, you know." He gave his son a knowing smirk as Chihaya crossed her arms over her chest again.

"Someone here seems to be hoping for my defeat." She said knowingly, an evil grin spreading across her lips making Sou shiver at the sight.

Taichi responded with a devilish smirk of his own. "It will be a nice change to see Sou beat you, you know."

Sou watched as his parents stared each other down, making him wonder what exactly was happening already between the two of them. "If you really wanted to see me beaten then why don't _you_ play me yourself?" He heard his mother challenge his father, and he unexpectedly felt something spark in the air between the two.

"Um… 'Kaachan? 'T-Touchan…?" He asked uncertainly, seeing something like sparks forming in the air between his parents, who were still staring each other down with evil grins off of their faces.

"Nice try, sweetheart, but no. Your daughter won't let me get away from her." Taichi motioned to Kana who was still clutching at his hand. "Perhaps I'll take you up on your offer some other time." He added smugly in a it's-such-a-shame tone.

Chihaya sighed, then grinned evilly again. "Well that is a pity. I was hoping to see you try to beat me."

"Sou-chan, tell your mother not to get so cocky please." Taichi responded, turning away from them to sweep the hair which had fallen over Kana-chan's face and to tuck her in.

Sou managed to let out a giggle as Chihaya also laughed, then finally approached Taichi to give him an embrace, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as he faced their daughter. "Well, I hope you really are going to play me one of these days. You're lacking practice already."

Taichi just rubbed her arm which was wrapped over his collarbone. "I'll try. I'm pretty rusty though. Now, I think you should get going," he turned to face Sou again as Chihaya straightened up. "If you want to play your mother immediately then you should get started with your homework. If you're having any trouble, you know what to do, alright?"

"Hai!" His son gave something like a salute and rushed off without any hesitation before either of them could even say 'karuta'.

Taichi straightened up from his kneeling position, careful as to dislodge his daughter's hand from holding his. "Sou is really becoming more and more like you everyday it's almost scary." He said jokingly, making her pout.

Chihaya turned to raise an eyebrow at him. "What is that supposed to mean?" She asked her husband playfully as Taichi chuckled lightly.

"That love of his for karuta had no doubt come from you. I wouldn't be surprised if he's going to try and drag his sister to play with him if you won't be able to practice with him." He said in a soft tone, something which Chihaya knew was full of pride and devotion to his family.

"And what about Kana? If Sou is taking after me, Kanade is undoubtedly taking after you." She reached over to rub her husband's arm assuredly, much like she had done so earlier. "At this point she's showing interest in your books. It won't surprise me if she suddenly blurt out one day that she would want to become a doctor." She added in a soft tone as well, their eyes both on their sleeping daughter. "And that would make me feel over the moon."

Taichi wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she reached down to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her their daughter's ear. "I hope she'll be up and about soon. It's so strange to have her sick." Chihaya murmured, her tone still worried, making her husband stare at her, his gaze proud.

Chihaya had already grown, without a doubt.

The arrival of Sou in their lives had made them grow, -both of them. It was absolutely tough to be first-time parents, but then they had been there for each other during the first few weeks of sleepless nights, trying to calm their son down whenever he cried mercilessly, or whenever he tried to take nearly everything into his mouth. It had first become clear that he was Chihaya's male version when his grandmother from his maternal side, Chieko, had pointed out that Sou's uncanny ability to fall asleep even though he was held by different people in different sets of arms was so akin to his mother's.

Taichi had laughed back then as Chihaya reddened, not finding it in herself to argue the logic. His teasing had worsened when they found two-year old Sou asleep with his eyes open, which at the time had made the two of them panic before they both realized that he was merely asleep.

"_His resemblance to you is creeping me out."_ He recalled teasing his poor wife. _"But anyway, I'm proud he's taking after you. He's one of a kind."_

But while it may have seemed that he was merely pestering her at the time, it was true that he was proud of her, -of his wife.

Gone were her childish antics and her tendency to react violently to things which challenged her belief. It was embarrassing to admit it, but he had thought at the time that Chihaya still wasn't prepared for motherhood. It was not because he didn't believe in her, but because he was well aware that at the time Chihaya was so addicted to karuta it was almost impossible to try to focus on something else. Her marriage to him was something which had been proof of her growth, but then she had bloomed into a full woman the moment Sou had arrived.

He had watched her handle their son with care and love, to teach him what little he could understand between right and wrong. He had watched her when Sou had taken interest in karuta, and how she had delightedly started teaching him the basics of their beloved sport with what he could understand. At first he had thought that she didn't have it in her to be patient, but she surprised him when she so lovingly taught him the little things he could take in, and to wait for the time that he could understand the more complicated aspects even more.

Even now she had never ceased to amaze him, and he was embarrassed, without a doubt, to admit that during the first years of their marriage he had been underestimating her, - if unconsciously. Perhaps he was attributing it to the fact that he had grown used to taking of her and had accepted her every little flaw that she had already grown without him looking –not managing to actually notice the change.

He really needed to stop being such a know-it-all moron.

"Taichi? What's wrong?" Chihaya's voice pierced through the dense cloud of thoughts currently swirling in his head. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

He shook his head mentally. "What? Oh sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that." He responded calmly, and Chihaya chuckled.

"You hardly look scary." She teased, turning to him to wrap her arms around his waist. "In fact, I'd say you still look frustratingly handsome even when you have a strange expression on your face." She added in a quiet tone as she lifted her face towards his and he snorted in response, his eyes already tracing the contours of her lips.

"Oh really now? I actually do? I guess I should be proud, hearing my wife compliment me like that." He muttered in a low voice, lowering his head and finally capturing her lips gently, almost making her knees buckle as she melted against his chest, her arms raising themselves to wrap around his neck as she welcomed him home properly.

"U-Ummm… T-Taichi…" She murmured between kisses, feeling his finger trace her spine, making her press herself against him in reaction and moan unconsciously, "T-This probably isn't the right room…"

Taichi couldn't resist the urge to chuckle at her statement while kissing her, before releasing her lips with a sigh. "Oops. I almost forgot."

Chihaya smiled at him shyly, her cheeks still flushed. "I guess I really did miss you."

He gave her a teasing grin. "And she said it."

Chihaya made a face as she bent down to fix her daughter's blanket which fell when she turned around uncaringly to change positions in her sleep. Taichi gave a soft laugh. "I guess Sou is not the only one who inherited your uncanny ability to sleep anywhere, anytime. She's totally knocked out in a few minutes." He motioned to Kana who hugged her giant teddy bear closer to her chest.

He was actually a bit relieved when Kanade didn't appear to harbor any fascination with daddy bear just as her mother had done before. He had already pointed this out to her a few years ago, which made her sock him on the arm instead in her annoyance.

"Well, since she's already asleep…" Chihaya turned to him again, beaming at him brightly, "Why don't you help us out in preparing for dinner?"

Taichi sighed. "I thought you're going to ask me to spend some time with you." He wiggled his eyebrows at her naughtily, and she snorted.

Chihaya rolled her eyes in response, but couldn't resist the urge to smile. "Men."

And she linked her arms against his as she led him out to proceed to the kitchen to prepare something special for Kanade.

* * *

"… I lost again." Sou said despairingly after straightening up from bowing to his mother, who was sporting a grin on her face as she started arranging the cards. "I don't understand what I did wrong this time."

"In terms of card placing and sending, you've improved." Taichi said as he watched them, Kanade on his lap again. He had actually tried to get Kanade to sleep, but the latter had refused to do so, insisting that she wanted to watch her older brother try to beat their mother in their match. Taichi had to back down, not wanting to upset their daughter. "In physical areas, you're doing fine. But there's still one thing missing."

Sou turned to look up to him, waiting earnestly to hear what he was still lacking.

"You're still lacking in this." Taichi tapped his index finger against his son's right temple. "Memorization."

The boy's face paled. "E-Eh?! But…"

Chihaya ruffled his hair. "Your father is actually right. I hate to say this, but memorization had also been my biggest problem during the early days." She admitted in a slightly embarrassed voice.

His father sighed. "Game sense and reflexes are important of course, but to an opponent who has good memorization skills, your reflexes will be rendered useless if you commit faults due to the fact that you can't remember correctly the card movements when cards started getting passed around in a match. And it's exhausting to be relying so much on your mind, especially when you were playing six-to-nine matches in tournaments." He added as he tossed a towel to the both of them, and Kanade gasped.

"I didn't know it's so hard to be a Q-uee-n." The little girl said her mouth forming a small 'o', her amber eyes wide. "'Kaachan is really the best player out there!"

Taichi also ruffled her hair. "Your mother fought tooth and nail for that title."

The little girl's forehead crinkled to a frown. "What does that mean, 'Touchan?"

Chihaya laughed. "You better not try to explain that now, Taichi. I doubt your daughter will understand what that meant now."

"Ever the pessimist." Taichi snorted, as Kana-chan pouted and rolled her eyes that Chihaya had to laugh. She looked so much like her father whenever she did that. "Well as time goes on your memory will improve. Don't be upset. You'll get there." He assured his son who was visibly upset as he glanced at his cards.

Chihaya rubbed the top of her son's head. "Cheer up, Sou-chan. At least you lost with a twelve-card difference this time. That's impressive, for player as young as you are."

"That's still a lot!" Sou exclaimed, really upset. Taichi suddenly saw an image of a younger Chihaya sitting in his place there and doing the same.

_Wow, that's Chihaya right there. Hating to lose? _He marveled inwardly.

"Is there any way to improve my memory?" Sou asked of his parents determinedly, his auburn eyes bright with determination.

His parents shared a look. And with that one look, Taichi knew Chihaya had actually thought of something effective.

"I do know a way. But it's hard, you know." His mother said, a playful smile on her lips.

"Chihaya…" Taichi cautioned, sighing and rubbing his forehead. "Do you really need to bait Sou? There's no use scaring him off."

"What was it, 'Touchan?" Sou asked earnestly, his eyes, -which was a perfect replica of his mother's- intent on him. Even Kanade was leaning forward, wanting to hear their father's answer. "Was it really going to help?"

Chihaya winked at her son. "It is going to help. Do you want to know what it is?"

"Yes!" Sou said, fire blazing in his eyes, making Taichi shiver at the uncanny resemblance between him and his mother whenever he looked like that.

Chihaya took a deep breath and smiled. "We call it 'flipped karuta', Sou-chan."

Taichi face-palmed, but he was smiling when he heard his wife's response. "I knew it." He muttered, as his daughter turned to look at him, her large amber eyes questioning and curious.

Sou looked at them both blankly. "Flipped karuta? Erm.. W-What was that?"

"It's still karuta, Sou." Taichi said in response, flicking his wife on the forehead and making her narrow her eyes at him. "The only difference is that you play blindly. You play with the cards flipped over."

The boy's face paled. "H-Huh? You play with the cards flipped over…? As in, you play with the back of the cards facing you…?"

Chihaya giggled, seeing her son's priceless reaction. "Yes, Sou-chan. Basically, it's still the same. You place them strategically; still memorize the positions of the cards, but when you play, you have to flip them over and play blindly. Hence the term 'flipped karuta'." She explained enthusiastically, watching her son looking at her in a manner of a surprised rabbit.

Sou looked at them both, as if unable to believe what he was hearing. He thought they were joking, but his father's expression was serious, and his mother is smiling. "B-But… But that's impossible! How are you supposed to play like that?"

Taichi had to smile at his son's reaction. The way he had reacted had been so similar to how he and Chihaya had reacted to this way back their teenage years it was almost scary. "That's what your mother and I had said at first too." He responded with a grin on his lips.

"No; contrary to your belief, Sou-chan, it's not entirely impossible. Your father and I had to play like that once… oh, ages ago." Chihaya turned to smile at his father, who shrugged. "It's a lot more difficult than usual karuta, but not impossible…ne, Taichi?" She turned to her husband, smiling at him slyly.

"Incidentally, that was also the first time I ever managed to beat your mother." Taichi added, just to make a point to his son. "Her memory was horrible at the time, and she was relying too much on her reflexes and game sense. It was your Uncle Tsutomu's fault, back then."

Kanade perked up, the conversation interesting her. "Uncle Tsu's fault? Why?"

Chihaya wiped the sweat off her daughter's forehead, as Taichi proceeded to answer their daughter's question. "Your mother was trying to get him to join our club back in our high school days." He threw a shrewd look at his wife. "Anyway, to cut the long story short, your Uncle challenged us: if it was really a memory game, we should be able to play with the cards flipped. So there, your mother and I were forced to try playing it like that."

Their son was still staring at them both in disbelief, but Kanade clapped her hands in excitement. "That must have been e-excite- good to watch!" Her parents laughed as she was forced to switch to an easier word to pronounce. "Do we get to see?"

Chihaya spread her arms wide. "Why of course! That is, if your brother is up to it." She threw her son a challenging look, who flinched and blanched. "What do you say, Sou-chan?"

Sou didn't know what to say, his young mind still unwilling to believe that karuta could be played like that. "It is, without a doubt, harder than usual karuta, but it's great for memorization." His mother said, giving him a sly smile. "It'll greatly make your mind sharper, you know."

Upon hearing this, the boy looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hmm. I would like to try it. But…" here he turned to look to his parents both."I would like to see how it was played first." He grinned toothily at his parents.

Chihaya raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in their son's demeanor. As much as he looked like Taichi, the naughtiness and attitude had still come from her.

She shared a look with their father, then turned to look at him again. "What do you mean?"

* * *

Minutes later, she and Taichi sat in front of each other, their eyes intent on the cards in front of them.

"… So?" Taichi asked in calm, restrained tone as he glanced at his wife, his finger hovering over a card placed at his upper left. "How did I end up here, about to play you?"

Chihaya glanced at him, smiling. "Oh come on, don't be such a stick in the mud. I have to admit, Sou is a brilliant kid, having suggested you to play me instead. Doesn't it bring back memories?"

"Oh, it brings back memories alright." A grin started to tug at the corners of his mouth. "You really sure about this?" He asked as he shoved another card's position in his head mentally.

Chihaya rolled her eyes. "Someone is getting too cocky having beaten me once with this kind of play. Don't get too confident, Mashima Taichi." She said, her smile turning to a devilish smirk.

"I won't. I'm facing the Queen after all." He responded easily. "And I'm sort of rusty, anyway, what difference would it make?" He added, sounding calm and relaxed despite of his statement, though having known him for years, Chihaya knew him well enough not to take him seriously.

_Hmm… I'll get to see his competitive streak once again._

"Two more minutes of memorization time." Sou said as he sat on the side, his sister kneeling beside him, her eyes intent on their parents.

"Mashima Souichiro," Taichi began, his eyes still on his cards as Chihaya muttered hers under her breath, "If you fail at keeping an eye on your sister because you forced me to play your mother, you'll be facing the dishes for one week. Are we clear?"

Souichiro blanched at the simple fatherly threat, and pulled Kanade beside him in response, his sister grinning at him as he swallowed. "Yes, 'Touchan."

"Good."

Seconds ticked by as they continued taking everything in their heads. Sou glanced at the wall clock, and cleared his throat, trying his best to sound like an official reader. "Memorization time is over. Please flip the cards."

Chihaya heaved a deep breath as she and Taichi set to work. "You know what to do." He told Chihaya, as they flipped the last card over.

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Yes, control myself. I am the Queen, Taichi. Need I remind you that?" She asked teasingly as Taichi rolled his eyes in response as well.

"Hai, Hai."

Sou began the opening poem, and for someone of his age, he already had the rhythm correct. Chihaya grinned proudly at him, as Taichi smiled in response.

_Looks like he fits as a reader as well._

As soon as the first card was read, he and Chihaya were off.

_It really does bring back memories_. He thought, as Chihaya made a swipe for the card at his bottom right, but he managed to block her in time. _ Hmm. Her mental strength is stronger now without a doubt._

Kanade giggled at their side, and Taichi gave his daughter a wink as Sou picked up another card.

"So spring ends-"

Chihaya reacted first, but her hand hesitated at her upper left. Taichi went for it, his fingers picking up the card as Chihaya gave a disgruntled sigh.

He flipped the card open for Sou to look at it, and his son nodded. "Correct card."

His mother blew an annoyed breath out. "Now I'm mad. I knew that card." She muttered quietly as Taichi reached over and ruffled her hair, making her swat his hand away.

"Perhaps you should listen to your instincts as well." He gave his wife a sly smile as he straightened back to a sitting position.

"Hmph." Chihaya snorted in response. "I'm not going easy on you this time."

"Oh, so did that mean you were not taking me seriously then? That's a shame." Taichi teased, as the kids shared a giggle, this being the first time they saw their parents try to trash-talk each other in a match. "Oh by the way, if I win, Chihaya, do I get any reward?"

Their mother reddened as she saw the mischievous glint in his amber eyes. "P-Probably." She said in a sheepish tone as their kids looked at each of them, not quite aware what they were talking about.

Taichi laughed, suddenly lowering his head towards the cards. "You heard that, didn't you kids?" He turned to the two who nodded, Kanade doing so enthusiastically, and he winked at her before turning to look back at his wife. "Interesting. I guess I should give it my all then."

Chihaya glared at him. " I'm not letting you off easily this time."

"Like a boatsman adrift-"

Chihaya went for the card on his lower right before he even had the time to react, and she grinned as she flipped the card open for Sou to read it.

"Right card."

His wife grinned at him evilly. "I will make you work hard for your win, Mashima Taichi."

"Oh? Sounds like you've accepted I'm going to win." He responded evilly, still with a calm demeanor as he grinned playfully at his wife.

Her teeth ground together in response.

The impromptu match continued and sweat started to appear on their brows, even with the air conditioner on. The siblings watched as their parents battled it out, the cards starting to dwindle in the field as the match slowly came to a close.

_He's rusty? Rusty my butt! _Chihaya thought frustratedly as Taichi flipped the card open. _But…_ _he's changed._ She added mentally, watching her husband effortlessly defend a multi-syllable card from her easily and heard the sound of their daughter's delighted squeal. _But I guess… I wouldn't mind losing if I get to see our children like this._ She mused fondly, watching Taichi place the card beside him as he leaned forward.

Even with match, Chihaya had no trouble allowing her thoughts to wander a little.

She was proud of Taichi; there was no denying that. She was proud of who he was, of where he was now. Whereas her main worry during the first years of their marriage was that she was going to fail as a wife and a mother, she had never worried about _him_ failing in general. Taichi was just… how should she put it? Just made to be a father. She knew this the moment he had first held Sou in his arms, the moment she saw him calm his crying son into silence as he cooed at him comfortingly.

_Shhh. No need to cry. Your mother's here. Look, she's just there on the bed, resting. Do you want to see her? Or do you prefer to stay in dad's arms hmmm?_

Her eyes had watered at the sight. Taichi was just so endearingly devoted to the two of them at the time –it was one of those memories she cherished. It all felt as if he had evolved from an excellent son to the loving father and husband he was now.

Chihaya was well aware that she was, beyond question, lucky. While most fathers would be reluctant to let their kids focus on something else aside their studies, Taichi had decided to trust Sou enough to allow him to play karuta while studying, something which his mother, Mashima Reiko, had been hesitant at before.

"_As long as you are aware that you still have your studies to worry about, you're allowed to practice karuta once in a while. Do I have your word as a man, Souichiro?" _She recalled Taichi asking their son sternly the moment Sou had decided that he wanted to play karuta.

"_Yes, Father."_

She smiled to herself. Mashima Taichi does have his faults, but he was an excellent head of the family when it came down to it. No one was perfect after all. What more could she ask for?

"While some dodge the famous-"

Chihaya flinched and sprang into action, but Taichi was faster than her on this one. Before she knew it, he had given her his last card.

"Arigatou Gozaimashita."

"Arigatou Gozaimashita." She bowed in response, and gave a loud sigh as she straightened up.

Sou's eyes were wide, much like his sister's. "S-Sugoi. 'Touchan and 'Kaachan… really did it!"

Taichi turned to them as Kanade launched herself into her father's arms. "Yay! Omedeto, 'Touchan!" His daughter gave him a large kiss on the cheek as her father laughed.

"I-It's the first time I've seen 'Kaachan l-lose…" Sou continued, still in a bewildered tone as Chihaya reached over to pat his head.

"Don't be so surprised, Sou-chan. I hate to admit this, but I could never beat your father when it comes to memorization, even though he was saying earlier that he's rusty." She gave an exasperated look to her husband, who chuckled.

"Don't sound so upset. You have your game sense and reflexes; I only have this." He tapped his index finger on his right temple. "You can't have everything in the world."

"The frustrating part is that I actually agree with you on that." She murmured in response as she started cleaning the cards, not noticing Sou suddenly all fired up.

"ALRIGHT! I'm inspired! 'Kaachan, let's play another match- ow!" He exclaimed as his father suddenly bonked him on the head.

Taichi straightened up, now carrying Kanade once again. "Oh no, you don't. It's bed time for you, young man. The same goes for you, young lady." He said seriously, making the two protest.

"Eh~!"

"But 'Touchan-!"

"No buts. Look at the time. We've had enough karuta today already. The practice can wait until tomorrow." He cut the two off effortlessly as Chihaya finally straightened up as well. "Your mother and I had allowed you to watch us play each other. Now, it's time to rest."

Chihaya approached them both and leaned forward to kiss the two kids. "Your father's right. Now get yourselves cleaned up, and it's off to bed for the two of you. Go on, I still have to clean here. Good night."

"Good night 'Kaachan!'

Chihaya watched fondly as Taichi led the two back upstairs, hearing Sou's excited muttering and Kanade's delighted squeal as her father jokingly bit her on her cheek. Smiling to herself, she proceeded to fix the mess in the game room as Taichi had dubbed it before, placing the cards back in their respective boxes and containers and proceeding to rearrange the tatami mats correctly.

After she was done with most of the cleaning, she stood up and stepped out of the room, flipping the light switch off and closing the door. She then proceeded to check if there were still pending chores such as the dishes, but Kyoko-baachan had already seen to it.

Deciding to walk off her exhaustion for a bit, she wandered around in the garden. She could still hear their children's voices, and she smiled to herself as she heard Taichi laugh once or twice. She knew that the two missed their father terribly, so she was going to let him have some quality time with them.

A few more minutes later their voices grew silent, and she guessed he had already put the two to sleep, but was staying in order to make sure Kanade falls asleep comfortably. She sat down on one of the benches, allowing the chilly October night breeze sweep around her, filling the air with delightful rose scent.

She must have sat there for what seemed to be an hour already, because she heard a disgruntled sigh somewhere on her left. "First the umbrella, now the jacket. Are you trying to get yourself sick?"

Chihaya smiled as she turned to face her husband, who stood a few meters away from her before approaching her and draping a jacket around her. "Sorry. I was just enjoying the night breeze."

"Sheesh. You just want to get sick or something." Taichi sat down beside her, an exasperated sigh escaping him as he did so. "Kanade just fell asleep. I swear she was asking me to read one of my books to her. I mean seriously, a medical book for a bedtime story? That was just strange." He added, though she could see him smiling.

"She's taking after you."

"She's still a kid. She should enjoy it first."

Chihaya took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "And we will give her a happy childhood. Just allow her to dream, Taichi."

They fell silent for a moment, Chihaya rubbing her hands together, and they both flinched when they saw a flurry of white something settle on Taichi's knee.

"Wow. It's already snowing." Chihaya gasped, looking up to see little snowflakes floating in the air already. "Ah, so beautiful." She gushed, one hand reaching out to catch a flake.

"It is." He agreed, eyes following her movements fondly.

She continued reaching out an arm, chuckling to herself all the while. "Do you think Sou will become a Meijin?" She asked wistfully, her tone near whisper as she directed the question at him.

Her husband looked at her as she turned her gaze to the stars, not even bothered by the random topic change. Taichi knew that she would, no doubt, be over the moon as well the moment Sou pursued the dream of becoming the next Meijin.

As for him…

Taichi had to admit that he had mixed feelings regarding that. On one hand, he knew that having such a dream was something good for Sou at such a young age, but as a parent, he knew that the path towards that dream would be filled with hardships.

The only thing he could wish at the moment was for his son not to experience the things he had during his younger days. It had been, without a doubt, bloody difficult. He had fallen for a girl who had her eyes on someone else, (even if she hadn't been aware of it,) and had spent years _and_ years of waiting for her to gain her dream before she could turn her attention to other things –particularly, to him. Chihaya had taken such a long time before she had actually managed to understand her feelings for him, and even then, despite of him having the advantage since he had understood her passion for karuta, Taichi had his life on hold when he had chosen to stay by her side and helped her fight for her dream.

Not that he was regretting it. He had never regretted doing it, because Chihaya eventually saw him for who he was and had acknowledged him for it. He had been blessed with two adorable kids with her. It was more than what he could ask for.

He was hoping, with all his heart and mind, that Sou will not have the same fate as him. He didn't want to see his son crazy with karuta, and he certainly didn't want his son to experience that same thing he did when it came to dealing with women, thank you very much.

"Who knows…?" He finally responded after what seemed to be quite a while, his voice coming out like a sigh as he brushed a flake away which had settled on her hair gently. "We don't know the future. But if Sou is really serious about becoming Meijin… well, he already has his work cut out for him."

Chihaya shrugged under her jacket. "I guess so. The only thing we can do is to play the role of good parents… and support him in whatever he does. It will be up to him to decide his future… Right?" She asked wistfully, giving him a gentle smile.

"Right." He agreed, a smile also tugging the corners of his lips.

He watched her gaze at a flake which had settled on her palm. "I'll make a wish with this. That our kids…" here she winked at him, "Would have their dreams come true." She stared at him then, as if all of a sudden wondering why he was merely watching her. "Don't you have something to wish for?" She queried, curiosity written all over her face.

He shook his head. "I already have you and the kids. My wish had already come to pass." He said softly, unknowingly making her heart flutter with his response. Her eyes slipped closed as he took her in an embrace. "And I want to thank you properly for giving me such wonderful kids. Thank you, Chihaya. I am quite the lucky man, to have you here with me, for giving me the chance to be a father. I can say I had more than what a man could normally have in one lifetime." He whispered somewhere above her head sincerely, making her flush.

Chihaya rubbed his back soothingly, unable to smile and feeling her eyes water. "What's this all of a sudden? Feeling sentimental?" She teased, just wanting to lighten up her husband's mood.

He didn't respond, just held her quietly for a few minutes, before releasing her. Silence enveloped them once again, and they both just basked in it, comforted with each other's presence.

"Thank you." She suddenly murmured quietly as she leaned sideways and laid her head on his shoulder, unable to keep her distance from him when it was the first time in almost a long time that he had decided to be back home early. "Thank you… for coming home early. I'm sure you've made the two happy."

Taichi heaved a deep breath out. "It's my duty as a father to come home early whenever his family needed him. You don't have to thank me, Chihaya." He turned his head sideways to drop a kiss on the top of her head, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"All the same… thank you, Taichi. I know you're busy with work and…"

"Chihaya, please." He placed a finger under her chin to make her look at him. "It's okay. I'm sorry for not being home as much as I should have… it's just… well, I do have a job as a doctor and…"

It was her turn to stop him. "No. Don't apologize, Taichi. It's work. Nothing else. Those two were just asking for you these past few days. They've missed their father so much." She said in a soft, gentle tone, cradling her husband's face in her right hand, making him lean on it sideways and close his eyes with more than a touch of exhaustion.

Taichi sighed finally after a few more minutes. "I'm going to get a one-week leave. At least I'll be able to look after Sou and Kanade properly."

Chihaya stared at him. "Are you sure about that?"

"Of course. They can't begrudge me that. I miss all of you already." He responded in a peeved tone, still smiling somewhat tiredly.

His wife's eyes lit up delightedly. "Well… if you say so. Thank you."

"Chihaya…"

He turned his head to scold her, but was quieted down as he met her lips unexpectedly. She was about to kiss him on the cheek in thanks, but it seemed that he was not only good in timing when it came to karuta, but also when it came to a much needed physical affection from her.

She was about to pull away but didn't protest when she felt him deepen the kiss, his arm wrapping around her waist. She moaned in his mouth as his hand slipped beneath her shirt, his finger tracing her hip.

"So… where's my reward?" Taichi asked naughtily against her lips, grinning as he broke off the kiss to trace his lips down the column of her neck.

Chihaya gasped, but could care less as Taichi proceeded to tease her. "I-It's in the room upstairs…?" She arched against him as he grazed his teeth lightly against the skin above her chest.

Taichi straightened up for a while to look at her, amber eyes –which Kanade had inherited from him- dark with desire. He grinned. "Aha. So you're prepared."

"I wasn't really- H-Hey!" She protested as he stood up and effortlessly swung her up in his arms bridal style. He carried her past the garden and into the house and she had no choice but to wrap her arms around his neck, her cheeks already a furious shade of crimson.

Taichi kissed her on the forehead. "Well it seems I did quite well to be rewarded like this."

Chihaya couldn't help but finally smile at his enthusiasm as he finally reached the master's bedroom in what seemed to be no time at all, and she grinned at him as he laid her down on the bed, his eyes meeting her dark, auburn irises.

"Well what are you waiting for? Come take your reward." She teased lightly, as she met her husband's kiss.

Hmmm. So the future was an unknown thing. But what better way to confront it than to have the people you love at your side?

Chihaya knew how things would get interesting.

~Owari~

* * *

_**Thanks for giving this fic a chance, people. Oh and the usual, let me know what you think!**_

_**See you in the next one, beloved readers. :)**_


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